WARD SECURITY has won its second top award in less than a year.

Just months after being named Medway Small Business of the Year, the Rochester firm walked off with the Success through Investors in People award, sponsored by Business Link Kent.

Staff on two tables whooped with joy when Roger Matthews, workforce development team manager for BLK, announced that Ward had won, edging out the other finalist Southern Salads.

As The Bradley Webb trio played Old Macdonald Had a Farm, managing director David Ward threaded his way through the tables, picked out by the spotlights and cameras of ITV Meridian.

Then he stepped up onto the stage where Mr Matthews handed him the prized silver award, accompanied by further shouts of delight from the Ward Security team at the back of the Saga Pavilion.

Kevin Ward, operations manager, said later that the success was down to "service provision, customer service and quality of staff."

He had no doubt that Investors in People had contributed to the firm's success. An appraisal process had brought staff skills and knowledge to light, and the two-way discussion had helped staff and company to achieve their goals.

Employee turnover dropped from 63 per cent in 2001-2 to 51 per cent last year and is forecast to fall to 45 per cent this year - compared to an industry average of 150 per cent.

Mr Ward said he was sorry that not all staff could be present, but many were out on site maintaining security.

He said: "I'm really pleased we've been successful tonight, and even more so because there were a lot of good companies in the competition.”